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Uli Hennicke Builds Up New Brand with Innovative Slipjoint Mechanism

September 10, 2018

Uli Hennicke is launching a new brand, Amare Knives. Hennicke positions Amare as an outlet for creative, boundary-pushing knife designs, and is kicking things off with a fresh take on the slipjoint.

Amare’s forthcoming Paragon slipjoint breaks away from the traditional backspring. Instead, it uses the new, patented A-Joint mechanism. “The spring is designed like a slim V, like the body of the [Amare] logo’s dragonfly,” Hennicke explains. The two ‘arms’ of the spring have different tensions, meaning that it is easier to open the Paragon, but harder to close it, accidentally or otherwise. The A-Joint also takes up less space in the blade channel, allowing for bigger blades in smaller handles. “If the spring wears out at some point, it will be easy to replace because the construction is easy to disassemble,” add Hennicke.

Paragon A-Joint Prototype

Paragon A-Joint Prototype

The 6.F fixed blade also plays around with core knife concepts. Instead of a normal handle, this outdoors backup knife has a finger hole where a bolster would be and a serpentine, S-shaped handle the rest of the fingers wrap around. Designer Jürgen Sohnemann created this setup so the 6.F doesn’t have to be put down while doing other outdoor tasks. “So many things are possible, because it is not necessary to lay down your 6.F to do something else with your hands,” Hennicke notes. “But you always have to remember you have a sharp tool at your fingers.” The 6.F is made from D2 steel, and Amare is working on an instruction booklet to help users get the most of this knife.

6.F Fixed Blade

6.F Fixed Blade

More conventional designs will populate the Amare catalog, too. “To get a start to our products we chose a more standard mechanism,” Hennicke says of the the Pocket Peak series, which offers complimentary fixed blade and folding knives that stem from the same basic design. The folder is a ball bearing flipper, with carbon fiber/G-10 inlays over a bolstered steel liner lock frame. The fixed blade version goes for a longer blade (4 inches compared to 3.5), a narrower handle, and jimping on both the spin of the blade and where the forefinger lands on the handle. Both sport blades made of 14C28N blade steel and carry sub-$100 price tags.

Amare Knives is a collaborative effort between Hennicke and his fellow Co-Owner Weixiang Meng, CEO of Real Steel Knives. RSK functions as OEM for the brand. Hennicke first worked with RSK while designing the Horus knife for them. “Weixiang Meng and me got in touch, both of us are totally into knives, construction, design, and love of knives,” Hennicke relates. He says he has big plans for Amare, including more technical innovations and even kitchen knives. Premium knives are in the works too. “We are powered by our new ideas, we have no need to go with trends, we can create one,” Hennicke says. “We are able to use the wide, wide space outside the box.”

Knife featured in image: Amare Knives Paragon Prototype

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